Device for thermic destruction of raw and waste materials

ABSTRACT

A device is provided for the thermal decomposition of refuse materials. This device includes an upright column formed of three stacked cylinders which are separated by bottoms arranged intermediate the cylinders. Within the uppermost of the stacked cylinders is suspended an internal cylinder which defines with the uppermost cylinder an annular space through which material to be processed is passed. The internal cylinder terminates above the bottom of the uppermost cylinder so that the material can move radially inwards from the annular space to define a flame chamber located below the uppermost cylinder. In the central of the stacked cylinders is a ceramic body defining an evacuating passage and a mixing chamber, both of which are combined with the annular chamber to define a vertical passage which extends downwardly into the bottommost of the stacked cylinders wherein is arranged apparatus for receiving melted material from the flame chamber. Arrangements are provided for passing air through the material being processed and for passing fuel and combustion air into various chambers for the proper treatment of the material. Controllable devices are provided for supplying raw material downwardly into the aforenoted annular chamber.

United States Patent [151 3,641,952 Wotschke [451 Feb. 15, 1972 s41 DEVICE FOR THERMIC DESTRUCTION 3,344,758 10/1967 Wotschke ..1 10/18 OF RAW AND WASTE MATERIALS Johannes Wotschke, Guntherstrasse 26, Hannover-Wladhausen, Germany Filed: Aug. 19, 1970 Appl. No.: 65,251

Inventor:

Related US. Application Data Continuation of Ser. No. 765,206, Oct. 4, 1968, abandoned.

Foreign Application Priority Data U.S. CL ..ll0/8C, ll0/18C ..F23g 5/12 FieldofSearch ..110/7,8R,8C, 18 R, 18C

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 11/1965 Phillips ....110/8 X Watschke... ..110/18 Phillips ..1 10/8 X Primary Examiner-Kenneth W. Sprague Attorney-Waters, Roditi, Schwartz &' Nissen [57] ABSTRACT A device is provided for the thermal decomposition of refuse materials. This device includes an upright column formed of three stacked cylinders which are separated by bottoms arranged intermediate the cylinders. Within the uppermost of the stacked cylinders is suspended an internal cylinder which defines with the uppennost cylinder an annular space through which material to be processed is passed. The internal cylinder terminates above the bottom of the uppermost cylinder so that the material can move radially inwards from the annular space to define a flame chamber located below the uppermost cylinder. 1n the central of the stacked cylinders is a ceramic body defining an evacuating passage and a mixing chamber, both of which are combined with the annular chamber to define a vertical passage which extends downwardly into the bottommost of the stacked cylinders wherein is arranged apparatus for receiving melted material from the flame chamber. Arrangements are provided for passing air through the material being processed and for passing fuel and combustion air into various chambers for the proper treatment of the material. Controllable devices are provided for supplying raw material downwardly into the aforenoted annular chamber.

20 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures DEVICE F OR THERMIC DESTRUCTION F RAW AND WASTE MATERIALS This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 65,251, filed Oct. 4, 1968, now abandoned.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a vertical section through an installation for processing raw materials for the thermal decomposition thereof in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a horizontal section through the bottommost of three chambers arranged in stacked relationship in the aforesaid installation;

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic side view of an internal cylinder suspended in the uppermost of the three chambers;

FIG. 4 is a horizontal cross section through the installation at the level of the internal cylinders;

FIG. 5 is a horizontal cross section through another level of the installation illustrating devices for the control of passage of material adjacent the fire chamber of the installation; and

FIG. 6 is a half-vertical section through the installation in the uppermost chamber thereof.

BACKGROUND U.S. Pat. No. 3,344,758 of Oct. 3, 1967, describes in detail a process and equipment by which raw materials and refuse materials can be thermally disintegrated by a so-called flame chamber. This chamber is formed by the materials themselves, which are to be disintegrated, and is characterized by the feature that, with very high operating temperatures, the material undergoing treatment will decompose along its inner walls into components which are combustible and pass off in gaseous form, on the one hand, and into incombustible components, on the other hand, which sill run off as a melt and immediately reconvert to solid state. The flame-chamber process possesses considerable and increasing importance for the universal disposal of refuse materials and for the most effective reuse of products of disintegration. Moreover, this process can be operated with relatively simple equipment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The present invention relates to the decomposition of raw and refuse materials.

It is an object of the present invention to provide improvements and advanced developments for installations such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,344,758.

In achieving the above and other of its objectives there is provided in accordance with the invention an apparatus comprising an upright column including three stacked cylinders and bottoms intermediate the cylinders. An internal cylinder is suspended in the uppermost of the stacked cylinders and defines therewith an annular space for receiving the materials to be treated and passing the same in a downwardly directed passage. The internal cylinder terminates above the bottom of the uppermost cylinder so that the material can move radially inwards to define a flame chamber which is located below the uppermost cylinder. Means is provided in the central of the stacked cylinders to define an evacuating passage coupled to the flame chamber and located below the same. A receiving means is provided in the lowermost of the stacked cylinders to receive melted material from the flame chamber via the evacuating passage.

In accordance with a feature of the invention means is provided in the central cylinder to define a mixing chamber between the evacuating passage and the receiving means and further means is provided for introducing air into the mixing chamber. It is to be noted that the means in the central cylinder may be provided in the form of a ceramic body, with the air introduced into the mixing chamber serving to cool the ceramic body.

According to a further feature of the invention, there is located on top of the internal cylinder a rotatable and conical top for distributing materials to be treated into the annular space, there being moreover provided means to rotate this top.

In accordance with still another feature of the invention, means is provided which locate a water seal between the top and the internal cylinder.

In accordance with still a further feature of the invention, means may be provided to introduce air at the bottom of the annular space to pass upwardly through the latter and through material therein and through the above-noted water seal into the internal cylinder.

The mode of operation of the flame chamber 9 in the drawing is assumed to be known from US. Pat. No. 3,344,758. In the present invention, the flame chamber 9 forms the crucial element of a vertical cylindrical space 7 embedded in a multipartite cylindrical storage vessel 1. An inner cylinder 8, suspended in a special manner inside this vessel I and equipped with means for starting the process, helps the flame chamber to develop below it and extends farther downward as a gas-mixing chamber 11, in order to terminate at the bottom as a granulation chamber. The particular characteristic of this installation consists in that all the processing is effected in this hollow space, and in that the individual chambers of the upright vessel surrounding it assure the protection of the process operation against the outside. Specifically, the protection is afforded in an upper chamber 4 by the material 14 itself, in the bottommost chamber 6 by the granulating and cooling liquid, which is required, and in the gas-mixing chamber 5 in the middle of the column, with its extremely high operating temperatures, by a ceramic internal liner I5 surrounded by external air-cooling system 56.

FIG. 1 is a vertical section through the entire arrangement according to the invention, FIG. 2 a horizontal section through the bottommost granulating chamber 6. FIG. 3 shows the inner cylinder 8, for suspension inside the column, with its tubular extensions 16 in a side view. FIG. 4 represents a horizontal section through the entire installation at the elevation of the extensions 16. FIG. 5 shows the layout in the feeder boxes 33, which continuously force the work material 14 into the flame chamber 9, this figure being a horizontal section through the entire installation at the corresponding elevation. FIG. 6 illustrates the arrangement and mode of operation of these insert feeder boxes 33, seen from the side, the figure being a vertical longitudinal half-section.

The solid material to be processed in introduced at inlet 20, and the liquid material is introduced at inlet 21, these inlets leading into the head of the installation. This introduction can be controlled, in a manner known per se, by means of an inlet chamber 19, which can be closed off like a sluice by means of slide gate 24 and supplied with barrier gas at inlet 54.

The upright vessel or column 1 is subdivided according to the invention by horizontal intermediate bottoms 2 and 3 into individual cylinder chambers which are technically and processwise to be strictly differentiated. The top chamber 4 consists of a cylindrical metallic outer jacket, which advantageously widens to some extent towards the bottom, inside of which inner cylinder 8 (see FIG. 3) is suspended by means of its tubular Outriggers 16. The inner chamber of the inner cylinder 8, which is accessible through the tubular extensions 16 for servicing and for the supply of work material and coolants, possesses, at its top, a centrally supported, rotatable, and preferably conical cover 18 and, at its bottom, a bottom tray 27, upon which rests a downwardly operating main burner 28. There is also provided means 16 for the supply of burner fuel oil, means 29 for the supply of combustion air, and means 30 and 31 for the supply of additional air for air chambers in the burner bell and for the flame chamber 9, respectively.

The cover 18, rotatable by means of a drive 17, which enters from the outside through the tubular lateral extensions 16, makes it possible to blend and break down preliminarily the solid and liquid work material deposited upon said cover, and to distribute it around the annular space 22 existing between the outer jacket 4 and the inner cylinder 8, and simultaneously to control the dosage of the fill-in supply. Because the work material ceases to flow off the rotatable cover 18 as soon as this cover ceases to rotate, the materials form, above the cover I8 and .below the slide gate 24, a closing-off intermediate filling. The tubular Outriggers 16 are shaped in such a manner that they do not impede the downward flow of the material 14 nor the circular distribution of the same around the annular space 22 as indicated in FIGS. 4 and 6.

At the bottom of the cylinder chamber 4, the material 14 is deflected from its thus vertical descent into a horizontal, radially inward movement in order to form the flame chamber 9 in this manner. In order to insure that this process will take place properly and regularly, even in the presence of coarse and not freely flowing material, the insert feeder boxes 33, especially identified in FIGS. and 6, are arranged in this zone. These are essentially rectangular boxes of wedge-shaped cross section, which can be brought in from the outside through the outer jacket 4 at 23. They possess a pivot shaft 32 at their inner longitudinal edge, around which a cover insert of the box can be tilted inwardly towards the middle of the flame chamber. The insert feeder boxes 33 are arranged in such a manner that their longitudinal edges correspond to the sides of a regular polygonin the illustrated case a trianglewhose center coincides with the axis of the installation as a whole, and upon which the movement of the tiltable cover inserts 34 is centered. For larger units, corresponding hexagonal or oc-.

tagonal arrangements of the insert feeder boxes 33 are designed.

The cover inserts 34 are swung out from their normal position to their tilt-out position 340 by drives 35, and thereby the material lying on these inserts is caused to slide downwardly, if the material fails to do so automatically in the normal position of the inserts. In this tilting operation, the changing inside space of the insert box 33 remains as an air space supplied with overpressure from the outside at inlet 55. This prevents the egress of foreign matter from the material, whereas breathing air, overflowing during the tiltout movement through the gap between the tiltable cover insert 34 and the solid bottom box 33, is transferred into the material as supplemental combustion air. The shaft 32 and the cover 34 can be provided with cooling means, if the work material lying between them and the flame chamber does not provide them with sufficient thermal insulation.

FIG. 5 shows flanges 59 by which segments of the outer jacket 4 are connected corresponding to the polygonal arrangement of the insert feeder boxes 33. These segments, appropriately joined together, form the outer jacket. The insert boxes 33'can be rolled out, from segments of this kind, on rails into outer positions 33'. Thereby free access is given to the inside of the entire installation for inspection and repairs, which is of particular advantage.

The incombustible component 37 of the material drains out of the flame chamber 9 from the thin reaction layer 36 through the drain spout l0 and the mixing chamber 11 downwardly into the granulating liquid 13 of the bottom chamber 6. Since the drain channel is most severely stressed, it is advantageous, as indicated at 57 in H6. 1, to devise it as an interchangeable insert piece in the internal ceramic lining of the gas-mixing chamber 11.

The melt 37 flows in the bottom chamber 6 through the cooling liquid, which, in gastight manner, seals off the vertical axial space 7 into a discharge dish 41, where it solidifies to granulate 38 which is discharged on both sides at zones 42 by means of a reciprocating cleaner 40 oscillating on the halfaxles 39a and 39b (HO. 2). t

The gases generated in the flame chamber 9 from the combustible components of the work material are essentially exhausted downwards through the drain l0 and, from. the gasmixing chamber, their major portion is exhausted laterally at 45 into a smoke stack or into equipment adapted for utilizing their heat. Additional combustion air, possibly required for their total combustion, is added at inlet 43 and most advantageously by arranging the supplemental air supply chamber 56 in such a manner that it will simultaneously provide external cooling for the ceramic liner l5.

Cylinder chamber 5 most appropriately is equipped with one of the auxiliary burners 44, known per se, and also with means serving to resupply to it the dry-out gas 53 issuing upwardly out of the annular chamber 22. This method. known in itself, of conducting upward a portion 50 of the exhaust gases from the flame chamber 9 through the annular space 22, of predrying by them the work material 14 sinking down in reverse flow, and thereafter of reuniting these humiditycharged gases bypassing the flame chamber behind the same with the main stream of exhaust gases, is particularly advantageously realized according to the present invention. These gases are drawn off through the gap between the rotating cover 18 and the upper rim of the inner cylinder 8 and conducted into a ring chamber 52 on all sides, which is itself sealed off against the internal space of the inner cylinder 8 by a water seal 51. From this ring chamber, these gases may be conducted further in a controlled manner through the tubular outriggers 16 at outlet 53.

ln the gas-mixing chamber 1 l, a portion 46 of the hot gases is branched off downwards by means of an exhaust blower 48, in order to accompany the downflowing melt 37 in order to keep it hot through the drain spout l2, and to catch simultaneously colder vapors 47 rising up from the granulating water. Together with these, this gas stream is again mixed back into the main stream of gases 45 at junction 49.

' What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for thermal treatment of materials, said apparatus comprising an upright column including three stacked cylinders and bottoms intermediate the cylinders, an internal cylinder suspended in the uppermost of the stacked cylinders and defining therewith an annular space for receiving said materials and passing the same downwards, said internal cylinder terminating above the bottom of said uppermost cylinder so that said material can move radially inwards to define a flame chamber below said internal cylinder, means in the central of the stacked cylinders to define an evacuating passage coupled to the flame chamber and below the same, and a mixing chamber below said passage, means for introducing air into the mixing chamber, receiving means in the lowermost of the stacked cylinders to receive melted material from the flame chamber via said passage and mixing chamber, a rotatable and conical top on said internal cylinder for distributing said material into the annular space and means to to rotate said top.

2. Apparatus for thermal treatment of materials, said apparatus comprising an upright column including three stacked cylinders and bottoms intermediate the cylinders, an internal cylinder suspended in the uppermost of the stacked cylinders and defining therewith an annular space for receiving said materials and passing the same downwards, said internal cylinder terminating above the bottom of said uppermost cylinder so that said material can move radially inwards to define a flame chamber below said internal cylinder, means in the central of the stacked cylinders to define an evacuating passage coupled to the flame chamber and below the same, and a mixing chamber below said passage, means for introducing air into the mixing chamber, receiving means in the lowermost of the stacked cylinders to receive melted material from the flame chamber via said passage and mixing chamber, and tiltable inserts in the uppermost cylinder arranged around said flame chamber.

3. Apparatus for thermal treatment of materials, said apparatus comprising an upright column including three stacked cylinders and bottoms intermediate the cylinders, an internal cylinder suspended in the uppermost of the stacked cylinders and defining therewith an annular space for receiving said materials and passing the same downwards, said internal cylinder terminating above the bottom of said uppermost cylinder so that said material can move radially inwards to define a flame chamber below said internal cylinder, means in the central of the stacked cylinders to define an evacuating passage coupled to the flame chamber and below the same, receiving means in the lowermost of the stacked cylinders to receive melted melted material from the flame chamber via said passage, said receiving means including a granulating liquid receptacle to granulate the melted material and cleaning means to clean out the thusly granulated material.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the means in the central cylinder is a ceramic body.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the means in the central cylinder is a ceramic body, for introducing air into the mixing chamber to cool the ceramic body.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 comprising means providing a water seal between said top and internal cylinder.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6 comprising means to introduce air at the bottom of said annular space to pass upwardly through the latter and through said water seal into the internal cylinder.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7 comprising means for controllably supplying liquid and solid refuse materials downwardly along said top into said annular space.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 comprising tubular outriggers extending outwardly through the uppermost cylinder from the internal cylinder to permit access into the latter.

10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 9 comprising means to supply fuel and combustion air through said outriggers into said internal cylinder.

11. Apparatus as claimed in claim 10 comprising a downwardly acting burner in the internal cylinder.

12. Apparatus as claimed in claim 11 comprising a laterally acting burner in said mixing chamber.

13. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said inserts are arranged as sides of a regular polygon.

14. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said inserts include rails for withdrawal from said uppennost cylinder.

15. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the inserts define expansive chambers in the material surrounding the flame chamber, comprising means supplying an overpressure of air to the expansible chambers.

16. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 comprising a removable insert in the ceramic body encircling said evacuating passage.

17. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 comprising means in the mixing chamber to evacuate gases therefrom.

18. Apparatus as claimed in claim 17 comprising means in the lowermost cylinder to evacuate gases therefrom.

19. Apparatus as claimed in claim 18 comprising means to combine the evacuated gases.

20. Apparatus for thermal treatment of materials, said apparatus comprising an upright column including three stacked cylinders and bottoms intermediate the cylinders, an internal cylinder suspended in the uppermost of the stacked cylinders and defining therewith an annular space for receiving said materials and passing the same downwards, said internal cylinder terminating above the bottom of said uppermost cylinder so that said material can move radially inwards to define a flame chamber below said uppermost cylinder, means in the central of the stacked cylinders to define an evacuating passage coupled to the flame chamber and below the same, receiving means in the lowermost of the stacked cylinders to and receive melted material from the flame chamber via said passage. 

1. Apparatus for thermal treatment of materials, said apparatus comprising an upright column including three stacked cylinders and bottoms intermediate the cylinders, an internal cylinder suspended in the uppermost of the stacked cylinders and defining therewith an annular space for receiving said materials and Passing the same downwards, said internal cylinder terminating above the bottom of said uppermost cylinder so that said material can move radially inwards to define a flame chamber below said internal cylinder, means in the central of the stacked cylinders to define an evacuating passage coupled to the flame chamber and below the same, and a mixing chamber below said passage, means for introducing air into the mixing chamber, receiving means in the lowermost of the stacked cylinders to receive melted material from the flame chamber via said passage and mixing chamber, a rotatable and conical top on said internal cylinder for distributing said material into the annular space and means to to rotate said top.
 2. Apparatus for thermal treatment of materials, said apparatus comprising an upright column including three stacked cylinders and bottoms intermediate the cylinders, an internal cylinder suspended in the uppermost of the stacked cylinders and defining therewith an annular space for receiving said materials and passing the same downwards, said internal cylinder terminating above the bottom of said uppermost cylinder so that said material can move radially inwards to define a flame chamber below said internal cylinder, means in the central of the stacked cylinders to define an evacuating passage coupled to the flame chamber and below the same, and a mixing chamber below said passage, means for introducing air into the mixing chamber, receiving means in the lowermost of the stacked cylinders to receive melted material from the flame chamber via said passage and mixing chamber, and tiltable inserts in the uppermost cylinder arranged around said flame chamber.
 3. Apparatus for thermal treatment of materials, said apparatus comprising an upright column including three stacked cylinders and bottoms intermediate the cylinders, an internal cylinder suspended in the uppermost of the stacked cylinders and defining therewith an annular space for receiving said materials and passing the same downwards, said internal cylinder terminating above the bottom of said uppermost cylinder so that said material can move radially inwards to define a flame chamber below said internal cylinder, means in the central of the stacked cylinders to define an evacuating passage coupled to the flame chamber and below the same, receiving means in the lowermost of the stacked cylinders to receive melted melted material from the flame chamber via said passage, said receiving means including a granulating liquid receptacle to granulate the melted material and cleaning means to clean out the thusly granulated material.
 4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the means in the central cylinder is a ceramic body.
 5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the means in the central cylinder is a ceramic body, for introducing air into the mixing chamber to cool the ceramic body.
 6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 comprising means providing a water seal between said top and internal cylinder.
 7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6 comprising means to introduce air at the bottom of said annular space to pass upwardly through the latter and through said water seal into the internal cylinder.
 8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7 comprising means for controllably supplying liquid and solid refuse materials downwardly along said top into said annular space.
 9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 comprising tubular outriggers extending outwardly through the uppermost cylinder from the internal cylinder to permit access into the latter.
 10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 9 comprising means to supply fuel and combustion air through said outriggers into said internal cylinder.
 11. Apparatus as claimed in claim 10 comprising a downwardly acting burner in the internal cylinder.
 12. Apparatus as claimed in claim 11 comprising a laterally acting burner in said mixing chamber.
 13. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said inserts are arranged as sides of a regular polygon.
 14. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 2, wherein said inserts include rails for withdrawal from said uppermost cylinder.
 15. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the inserts define expansive chambers in the material surrounding the flame chamber, comprising means supplying an overpressure of air to the expansible chambers.
 16. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 comprising a removable insert in the ceramic body encircling said evacuating passage.
 17. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 comprising means in the mixing chamber to evacuate gases therefrom.
 18. Apparatus as claimed in claim 17 comprising means in the lowermost cylinder to evacuate gases therefrom.
 19. Apparatus as claimed in claim 18 comprising means to combine the evacuated gases.
 20. Apparatus for thermal treatment of materials, said apparatus comprising an upright column including three stacked cylinders and bottoms intermediate the cylinders, an internal cylinder suspended in the uppermost of the stacked cylinders and defining therewith an annular space for receiving said materials and passing the same downwards, said internal cylinder terminating above the bottom of said uppermost cylinder so that said material can move radially inwards to define a flame chamber below said uppermost cylinder, means in the central of the stacked cylinders to define an evacuating passage coupled to the flame chamber and below the same, receiving means in the lowermost of the stacked cylinders to and receive melted material from the flame chamber via said passage. 